Etymograph

English

steam devil

Steam devil comes from English whirlwind ‘devil’.

  1. English1500–presentwhirlwind‘devil’
  2. Englishtodaysteam devil

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. English1500–presentwhirlwind‘devil’
  2. Englishtodaysteam devil

A compound of steam + devil

Proto-Germanic *staubaz ‘dust’

Proto-Germanic *staumaz ‘steam, vapour’

Old English stēam ‘steam’

Middle English steem

English steam

Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’

…

Latin diabolus

Proto-West Germanic *diubul

Old English dēofol ‘a demon, devil’

Middle English devil

English devil

The story

Patterned after dust devil.

Every English word from English whirlwind

Today it means

noun A spiraling wind caused by rising thermals off a warm body of water's surface that has been enveloped by a layer of very cold air, which also causes the humidity in the thermal to turn to mist, highlighting the whirl of the column. The equivalent of a dustdevil over water.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / English whirlwind / steam devil

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